Evaluating the Writings of Rebecca Solnit - Essay Example

Solnit’s Essay Introduction Arguably, there is intersection that exists between politics, society, and human interaction with landscape as part of nature. Among other writers, Rebecca Solnit has come out outstandingly and successfully highlighted this intersection in her publications. Her writings are based on the fact that in the modern world, globalization and urbanization have continued to weigh upon nature, and the natural environment has been disappearing. In the modern world, nature has become so rare that whatever little patch of natural resources and elements such as trees or water bodies exist are termed as paradise. In short, in the modern world, a pure portion of nature free from the effects of modernization qualifies to be called paradise. This has led to [landscape] architects to shout out calls to redeem nature from the increasing globalization. This is because architecture has the potential of redeeming several paradises. Evident in Solnit’s essay “Thirty-Nine Steps across the Border and Back” are multiple definitions of a paradise in the modern world. In evaluating her writings about the elusive paradise, this study will analyze scenery inside the Vizcaya Museum in Miami. The architectural setup of the Vizcaya Museum in Miami matches Solnit’s idea of paradise in which case paradise is created by secluding unique portions of nature and setting them away from human interference. Design/ Structural Details In the chosen scenery, the central object visible is a sunken water body enclosed within concrete walls that rise about half a meter above ground level. The concrete walls indicate old age and have columns on the left side that end up in a vase-like top used as holders where plants with dense leaves like cactus grow. To the left of the water body is a row of mature trees that have evidently attained maturity. Their branches hang over the water catchment below. The overhanging branches are adorned with a type of running plant with tiny leaves that form dense clusters on the old branches. To the left of the trees is a pavement meant for visitors to walk on. To the left of the pavement is a neatly-trimmed hedge of dense green bushes. To the right of the water body is a neatly-kept lawn with low-lying trimmed grass. In the lawn are younger trees that are neatly trimmed to be cylindrical with flat tops. Paradise Theme Today’s version of paradise in definition would be a place that is most striking and contrasts largely with the environment that we interact with daily. It may encompass material elements such as the water body and lawn in the photo above. It may also entail immaterial forms such as the feeling that comes with being at the scenery. However, the key characteristic of a paradise differentiating it from the larger environment is that it is confined in one place, and more importantly set away from human influences. The Vizcaya Museum is not an everyday element to humans. Rather, it is a recreational facility where people frequent on holidays or when they need to escape the fast life in urban settings. In this, the museum fits the definition of paradise, which in Solnit’s words reads, “… nature is where you go for recreation” (Solnit 83). Visual Rhetoric The idea of a paradise matches the scenery photographed above. First of all, one feature of a paradise is that, “… the wall, the guard, and the gate have become increasingly popular devices for maintaining difference… between the garden and the world” (80). Similarly, the Vizcaya Museum is separated and protected from the rest of the world by walls and policies that ensure it remains secure and intact from any human interference or alteration. In short, the natural part of it has to be retained. What is inside the [museum] a gate is imagined as some version of paradise since it is free from modernization of any kind. A garden is a portion of architecture set aside specifically for the sole purpose played by gardens at the front of homes. The reason why a garden is set aside is because it is intended mainly for the feel nature, and this is done by keeping human treading away. Similarly, the constructed water body at the Vizcaya Museum has a garden set to its right. The garden is made up of cylindrical-shaped trees with flat tops made by tactical trimming. They are planted in neat rows on flat ground covered in dense, low-lying and evenly-trimmed green grass. Therefore, just like every house in Solnit’s essay had a garden, so does the creation at the museum. Still on the garden element, gardens are sort of no-go zones for ordinary persons, and it is the gardeners who reserve the capacity to diverge from the walkways and tread upon them (80). Evidently, the gardens fit the definition of paradise in that it is a secluded portion of land confined in a separate place. In the Vizcaya Museum photograph, the garden to the extreme right is also set furthest from the walkways on the extreme left side. This communicates the concept that humans are being kept from treading upon it. To avert humans from treading upon the gardens, the gardeners use garden ornaments such as low fences to act as dividers. In the very same manner, the Vizcaya Museum has used low walls and raised pavement borders to discourage visitors from wandering into the garden which is an integral part of the “paradise.” Human Circulation The Vizcaya Museum’s layout is designed so that human circulation is limited to some parts only. Additionally, some places are meant for more people than others. For instance, the walkways to the right and the furthest end of the water body are meant for about two persons walking side by side. As such, human traffic is maintained at two persons at each time. However, further ahead, the walkways lead the visitors to the main museum building. The walkways end in long stretches of stairs that lead one into the building. Here, the architectural design allows for a maximum number of persons per unit time, that is, without limitation. In evaluation, the “immigrants” in the Vizcaya Museum case refers to the visitors who are kept away from the lawn and other natural occurrences using low walls, raised pavement borders, and the raised columns holding the exotic plants high above the ground. Overall Setup Additionally, paradise is only recognizable by comparing “what is inside the gate and past the gate” (80). In this, we get the notion that what is set aside from the normal environment can only be understood by comparing it to the everyday environment. The Vizcaya Museum adheres to this rule and has allowed for visitors to clearly see the difference between what is natural [paradise], and what is normal. To achieve this, the museum is laid out such that each work is viewed separately, allowing for their distinctiveness to stand out. For instance, the water body is enclosed within concrete walls. The potted plants are raised high above the ground, and each pot holds a single plant. Again, the garden is set separate from the water catchment and rows of trees so that it can be viewed and enjoyed separately. The main building too, is set away from these elements, creating a clear border between natural and artificial creations. In short, the layout was designed such that no one single element overlaps with another. Conclusion Solnit has her ideology of how landscape can play a role in redeeming paradises engraved within our modernized world. In short, she feels that in nature is the only paradise that humans can experience in real time, thus the need to protect our natural environment. She goes on to define paradise as a place enclosed from human interference, and one that is unique as compared to the normal environment that we exist in. her concepts of a paradise match with the overall setup and rhetoric offered by the Vizcaya Museum in Miami. For one, the museum is set aside from the wider environment, it has features that are not part of daily human life, it is a recreational facility, and restricting ornamentals are used to keep humans out where they are not needed. As the study justifies, a significant replication of Solnit’s writing is evident in the nature of the Vizcaya Museum. Works Cited Solnit, Rebecca. Storming the Gates of Paradise: Landscapes for Politics. University of California Press, 2008. Print. Read More